A Legend Reborn
by CaskettOlicityJeca
Summary: Arthur, Merlin, Guinevere, Morgana. They are the past. Benjamin, Calhoun, Gwendolen, Katherine. They are the present. They are all the future. Can Ben, Cal, Gwen, and Katie avoid making the same mistakes they did in another lifetime? Or is history bound to repeat itself? Future fic. T, just in case.
1. Prologue: The End Of The Beginning

**So I know that a lot of people have done stories like this, but I think we do it because we feel like it's a possibility. Like maybe if we wish hard enough, something like this will happen. This is obviously a future fic (although the prologue is set immediately after Merlin pushes Arthur's barge out into the lake).**

**I hope you all like it, and please let me know what you think!**

_**Disclaimer:**__** I do not own Merlin. If I did, Mergana would have happened, Morgana and Mordred would have become good, and Arthur would most definitely not have died... And the series would still be going. **_

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><p><strong>Prologue: The End Of The Beginning<strong>

After hours of watching Arthur, lying afloat on the boat as if sleeping, Merlin stumbled away from the glittering lake. He practically crawled up the hill, after falling so many times he could no longer get back up. He neared the body of Morgana, once one of his closest friends. Despite the fact that Merlin had pierced the witch's heart, she was still breathing, desperately clinging to life.

"Merlin." Morgana gasped, wrapping her fingers weakly around his wrist. Once upon a time, Morgana had fantasized about a future with Merlin. She did not mind that he was just a servant, a mere farm boy. He had always been one whom she could trust and confide in. After all, they were one and the same. "Arthur… Where is he?"

Merlin glared down upon her. "Dead. Your dear Mordred saw to that."

"Arthur's dead, too?" Morgana whispered, tears falling down her face as she struggled to breathe. "So is Mordred. How are they both dead?"

"I don't know, wasn't Mordred your one true love?" Merlin hissed.

"He was my brother, you fool!" She exclaimed. "It seems that Uther had more than one tryst in his time. Mordred was half brother to both Arthur and myself."

"He was your brother?" Merlin gasped, shocked.

"Yes, he was. I never told him, but that is why I was so fond of him. I believe that's why both Arthur and I helped him escape all those years ago. We both knew, deep down. We were a family."

"If you were such a family, then why did Mordred kill Arthur? Why have you been trying to destroy Arthur for so long?" Merlin asked.

"Because family is family. I trusted my sister, Morgause. However, she charmed me when she died. Placed a curse on me. She lived through my body. I was living in my mind, but she slowly overtook it, claimed it, and pushed me to the very back. I tried to keep you safe, Merlin. I tried to keep all of you safe. You were my friends. She imprisoned me in my own head. I could not act or speak against her will, no matter how hard I tried to break free. Only tears of true despair could ever break the curse. I shed those tears when Mordred died. I was furious with Arthur for killing Mordred and I was ready for vengeance, but after you… After you stabbed me, Merlin, I realised that I had been living with Morgause in my head for so long that I had started to become like her. The darkness was such a part of me, I couldn't let it go." Morgana let out a shallow cough as blood oozed from her wound, trickling over her dark, torn robes to the forest floor.

As Merlin watched, a twinge of guilt ran through him as he realised he had already been responsible for the deaths of too many members of the Pendragon family.

Morgana, her coughing now subsided, grimaced as she shifted her weight, her breathing becoming shallower by the second. "I was waiting to… to apologise to Arthur. To seek his forgiveness for both Mordred and myself."

"So was Morgause in Mordred's head too then?" Merlin asked her.

Morgana smiled ruefully and shook her head. "No, that child would have done anything I asked of him. He did do everything I asked of him. I brought him down, or Morgause brought him down through me."

"I never liked her much." Merlin stated.

Morgana laughed softly, and Merlin could again see the beautiful young woman standing in a window of the castle, looking out upon the kingdom which adored her. "Oh, I could sense that much. You were never too discreet about your like or dislike for people."

"Hmmm, I guess I'm an open book." He said.

Morgana looked at him, and he noticed that the spark which used to light up her eyes was no longer there. And her skin, always white as ebony, seemed so pale it looked sickly. But that crazed, vengeful look that had been about her in all of their recent encounters was no longer there. He didn't think she looked so unwell because she was 'evil'. It was because she was now dying.

"Morgana." Merlin grabbed her hand and laced their fingers together. "Don't go. Stay. Come back to Camelot with me. You can start over, get your old life back."

She shook her head weakly. "They'll all despise me. They would chase me out of the town with pitchforks immediately."

"No. No. They'd forgive you. We could show them that it wasn't you."

"I wish that were true, Merlin. But we will never be able to convince them, no matter how hard we may try."

"But Gwen… she's Queen now. She could make them believe…"

Morgana reached one hand up and laid it on Merlin's cheek. It felt so warm and alive beneath her ice-cold fingertips and palm. "I am responsible for the death of the man she loved. I tried to have both her and Arthur disposed of many times. I killed Elian, her dear brother. I feel we would have more luck convincing all of Albion of my mental innocence."

Merlin's head fell. He tried desperately to hold back his tears, but a few small droplets escaped, and as he was bent over Morgana, they splashed onto her cheeks.

"Don't cry for me, dear Merlin. You have always been one of my closest friends. Even when I seemed intent on slaughtering you, it was memories of us that kept me strong, kept me fighting Morgause for my freedom and your lives. Sometimes it was just you and I that I thought of, other times it was the four of us. When I was with you I felt as though I could do anything I wanted to do, be anyone I wanted to be."

"Don't leave me." Merlin whispered. "I have already lost Freya. I can't lose you, too. I cannot lose both of the women I care about."

"Hush Merlin." Morgana ran her thumb over Merlin's cheek, however she was unsure as to whether she was trying to comfort him, or herself. "This will not be the last time we see each other. Arthur is the Once and Future King."

Merlin nodded.

"So, who says we can't be his Once and Future friends? You and I… If we combine our magic, we would be strong enough to cast a spell of reincarnation over all of those who played a significant role in Arthur's life. We would be there to support him in his rise."

"We're able to do that?" Merlin asked. He'd never even heard of a reincarnation spell like that before. He'd heard of spells to bring one person back to life, or to raise the dead, but nothing that would enable the rise of a Queen, two sorcerers, a witch, a druid, a King, and a few knights as well.

"Merlin, you are Emrys, the greatest wizard to live throughout all of time and history. And I am the Fey. Together, we can do absolutely anything."

"Is it Dark Magic?" Merlin questioned.

"No, but it is powerful, and it is from the Old Religion. But it's not dark."

Still, Merlin looked unconvinced.

"Merlin." Morgana whispered. "Please trust me. Let me make amends. I'm still the girl who watched you walk into Camelot from the window of her chamber."

After a few minutes of silent pondering, Merlin nodded his consent. "Ok, what do I have to do?"

"Nothing." Morgana held out her hand and he took it, their fingers twining together. "Just focus everything within you on what I'm saying. Aim all of your power, centring them on my words only. Do not let your mind slip to anything else."

The memory of Arthur, dying in his arms, came to him suddenly, but with great effort the warlock managed to push that thought from his mind.

"Ok. That sounds simple enough." Merlin stated.

Morgana grinned, but there was something odd in her expression. Something almost sad. "Just wait until it drains all of your power."

Morgana opened her mouth to begin the spell, but Merlin cut in. "After this, you'll come back to Camelot with me?"

Morgana's answer was not immediate, and it came very slowly when she did respond. "Of course. Merlin, I've always trusted you more than anyone. More, even, than Gwen. As soon as I began to know of my powers, I knew that you were of magic, also. I knew you were Emrys, son of magic and protector of the Once and Future King. If we get through this, I'll go anywhere…" Morgana gasped in pain and clutched at her sword wound.

"Let me heal you!" Merlin exclaimed, watching his old friend clench her eyes closed in agony.

"No." She managed through grit teeth. "We have to do this spell. You can heal me after."

She knew very well that Merlin would not get the chance to heal her. That was why they needed to cast the spell immediately.

Merlin sighed, knowing he would never be able to win this argument. That was where Arthur and Morgana were exactly the same: they were too stubborn for their own good. "Ok. But you will let me heal you?"

Morgana nodded. "I will." She wrapped her hand around the back of Merlin's neck and gently pulled his face closer to hers. "I trust you." She whispered as their lips met.

Merlin kissed the dying woman gently, his mind flashing back to the last woman he had kissed. Freya. He had thought that she was his true love, that no one else would ever be able to match her. He was wrong. She seemed like nothing compared to how he now felt with Morgana. How he had always felt with Morgana.

Merlin rested his forehead on Morgana's as she began to speak the spell. To any passerby, it would appear that she was speaking in some foreign tongue, but Merlin could understand her as easily as though she were speaking English.

"Emrys, son of magic, combines powers with I to create unbreakable magic. We offer our power in its entirety to enable the bodies and minds of all those imperative to the great King Arthur's life to rise again as he does. As there is the Once and Future King, we curse those from this life to be his Once and Future comrades. To do this, I sacrifice all that I am, and Emrys adds his power, allowing us to pierce the fabric of magic and time."

Merlin felt a burning heat in the palm of his hand, as did Morgana. Their eyes flashed gold in unison, but other than that Merlin could not sense any difference in the world. And then, as he smiled at Morgana, he watched her eyes change back to green, and then fade to grey until there was no life left in them at all.

"Morgana." Merlin whispered, lifting her head, but it lolled back, her eyes staring blankly up at him, the only man she had ever truly loved. "No, Morgana!" Merlin shook her and begged her to come back to him. He tried to use his magic to bring her back, but he discovered he didn't have any power to bring her back with. Merlin stood up, scooping the beautiful woman with raven black hair up in his arms, and screamed. He screamed for the best friend whom he had lost, the King who could have changed the world. He screamed for the Queen, who no longer had her husband. He screamed for the woman whom he had lost all hope in, the woman who had come back to him and died in an attempt to give assistance to her brother. He screamed at fate, who had chosen a tragic path for all of them. Then, when his voice was hoarse and his throat was worn raw, he carried Morgana back to the lake where only hours ago he had set Arthur free, and he fashioned another boat. As with Arthur's funeral barge, Merlin could not bring himself to light it, so he simply lay Morgana down on the wooden raft, kissed her now-cold forehead, and pushed her out into the lake of Avalon to join her brother.

Merlin sat on the bank for many hours after that, watching Morgana's raft slowly float farther away from him.

He prayed that the spell in which Morgana had sacrificed herself would work. He prayed that one day he would meet both her and Arthur again.

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><p><strong>Hope you liked it! Let me know what you think!<strong>


	2. Chacter names

**Okay so this is just a list of the main characters. The bold names are the names from the legend, the unbold names are the modern names.**

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><p><strong>Arthur<strong>: Benjamin Arthur Penderghast  
>Blonde hair, fair skin, blue eyes, tall, 18<p>

**Morgana**: Katherine Morgana Penderghast  
>Black wavy hair, fair skin, blue-green eyes, tall, almost 18<p>

**Mordred**: Aiden Asange Morder  
>Black hair, fair skin, blue eyes, 12<p>

**Merlin**: Calhoun Emrys Merlyn  
>Dark hair, fair skin, blue eyes, tall, 18<p>

**Gwen**: Gwendolen Alysse Colby  
>Brown curly hair, tan skin, short, 17<p>

**Gawain**: Gavin Edward Sirilian  
>Brown hair, medium skin, brown eyes, medium height, ripped body, 18<p>

**Lancelot**: Lance Santiago  
>Brown hair, medium skin, brown eyes, tall, 18<p>

**Elian**: Eli Andrew Colby  
>Black hair, dark skin, brown eyes, tall, 18<p>

**Percival**: Percy  
>Short blonde hair, fair skin, grey eyes, really tall, really ripped body, 17<p>

**Leon**: Leo  
>Curly ginger hair, fair skin, grey eyes, average height, 17<p>

**Uther**: Anton Penderghast  
>Receding greyish hair (used to be very dark), blue-grey eyes, tall<p>

**Gauis**: Richard Gauiell  
>Thining white hair, blue eyes, average height<p>

**Igraine**: Isabel  
>Blonde straight hair, fair skin, blue eyes, tall<p>

**Nimueh**: Nim  
>Dark brown wavy hair, pale skin, blue eyes, short<p>

Vivienne  
>Blonde curly hair, fair skin, hazel green eyes, medium height, 17<p>

Neve  
>Red hair, pale skin, green eyes, medium height, 18<p>

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><p><strong>Okay, so Vivien and Nyneve are two different Ladies of the Lake from different versions of the Arthurian Legend, and I really wanted to include them in this story so I did. I changed Nyneve's name to Neve, and altered the spelling of Vivien to Vivienne.<br>**


	3. Chapter 1: Friends And Family

**Okie dokie, so this chapter is basically just introducing all of the characters in the modern world. Please keep in mind that these characters have the soul of those from the legend, but not their actual body. In my mind, Merlin's soul died the same day that Arthur and Morgana died, therefore Calhoun has his soul but Merlin himself is also still alive and will come into the story in the later chapters.**

**_Disclaimer:_**** I don't own Merlin.**

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><p>"Do we have to move, Pa?" Aiden whines at his adoptive father, Anton.<p>

"Yes, Dad, why do we have to move?" Ben asks.

"Because the firm needed me to relocate." Anton answers, looking first at his biological son, and then at his adopted son.

"So?" Katherine asks, walking into the room. The girl always has a habit of walking in and butting in on conversations. "You could have said no, An. Now we all have to up and leave."

Katherine is also Anton's adopted child. Her own parents, close friends of Anton, died in a car accident when the girl was only four years old. Anton was her God father, so he adopted her. Her older sister, Jenn, also died in the accident but her body was not recovered.

Anton rolls his eyes at the trio. As he looks at them, he notes how alike they look. They all have matching, piercing blue-green eyes, and similar facial features.

"I'm sure all of the kids at your new schools will be fine. And the house we're moving into is like a castle!" Anton tries to get his children a bit more excited about the move.

Katherine rolls her eyes and walks out of the room, calling back of her shoulder, "In case you haven't noticed, the house we are currently living in is like a castle!"

"She has a point." Ben agrees with his sister, following her out.

"I don't want to move. I like it here, Pa. I can visit my parents here." Aiden says, referencing the weekly trips he takes to their graves.

"I know, I know. But in a few months you will have completely forgotten about your parents."

Aiden narrows his eyes at Anton. "I will never forget my parents." He hisses. "And no matter how hard you try, you will never replace my real dad."

With that, Aiden also leaves the room, running up the staircase and knocking on Katherine's bedroom door. Her door swings open and Aiden wraps his arms tightly around her. She kisses the top of his head and walks him into the bedroom.

Anton, watching silently from the doorway of the boardroom, shakes his head. "If only they knew."

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><p>Calhoun, sitting by himself on a bench in the mall, fixes his red scarf. He looks out at the people walking by him. Parents with little kids, workers on their lunch break, jerks from school, nice-ish people from school. One girl, walking with a small group of other girls, walks towards him and smiles.<p>

"Hi Cal." She says. "Can I sit down?"

"Hey Gwen." Calhoun says to his curly haired friend. One of the few friends he believes he has. "Sure."

Gwen smiles and sits on the bench beside him. "So how have you been lately?"

"Good. I haven't done much, really. I worked the first week of holidays, but then they fired all of the school kids because apparently we weren't reliable enough. So yeah, I haven't done much this past week. You?"

"Yeah, same old same old. I didn't get fired so I've been working a bit."

"You didn't get fired because you run your own business." Calhoun points out.

Gwen chuckles. "It's not really a business if I'm the only one who works for it."

"You have your own business cards. That makes it a business." Cal laughs.

"Ok, ok." Gwen laughs. "You've got me there."

Gwen's friends come back out of the shop they had gone into and walk over to them.

"You coming, Gwen?" Neve asks, pushing her curly red hair back over her shoulder.

"Sure." Gwen stands.

"Do you want to come with us, Calhoun?" Neve asks.

"Are you sure?" Cal asks.

All three nod in unison and smile at him. "Come on." Neve encourages.

Calhoun stands up, picks his backpack up off the ground and falls into step beside Gwen. He looks down the line of the three girls, Gwen, Neve, and Vivienne, and chuckles as they link arms and begin walking purposefully through the mall, all of their curls bouncing like springs down their backs.

Those jerks from school would be jealous if they saw him now, walking with three of the nicest, prettiest girls in the whole town.

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><p>"Come on!" Lance encourages the group of young men to push themselves in their training. "This is pathetic! We're not going to win Championship if we don't put in at the start of the season!"<p>

"We're not going to win Championship if we don't have a Captain." Percy points out.

A roar of agreement with Percy's statement arises.

"I know we all feel like Brodie abandoned us, but he was offered a great opportunity and he seized it!" Lance exclaims. "We can't begrudge him for going for his dreams! Besides, this will give us a chance to grow more! Now come on! We'll do a few more laps and then we can go home!"

The rest of the guys all groan, but begin to run the laps around the football field as the sun sets over the top of the trees.

"Do you know where Gav is and why he missed training again?" Lance asks Eli, Leo and Percy as they jog side by side.

Leo pulls a face. "No clue. He probably has another hangover."

Lance rolls his eyes. "Of course he does. Someone's going to have to talk to him."

"Yeah someone is, but if you go to talk to him you have to go as his friend, not the team captain. You know why? Because you aren't the team captain." Eli states.

Lance nods his head. "I know. And I don't want to be. But someone needs to take charge at the moment, otherwise we'll all fall."

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><p>Vivienne lies in her bed facing the wall, her eyes closed. Her mouth tips up in a small smile as she hears her bedroom window open quietly. After a few minutes of silence, Gavin speaks. "Why do girls hate me so much?"<p>

Vivienne smirks and laughs silently before she rolls over to look at Gavin. "They don't, Gav."

"Well if they don't hate me, why did Tash just hit me?" He questions.

"Probably because you slept with her and then she found out that you'd kissed her best friend the night before you hooked up with her." Viv points out.

"I don't even remember kissing Laela though." He groans, running his hands through his dark hair. Vivienne watches all of the muscles in his arm flex and move as he completes the action of completely messing up his hair.

"That's because you were completely intoxicated. You wouldn't have remembered anything at all. You could have kissed me and you wouldn't remember it." She states.  
>"I didn't kiss you, did I?" He asks, worried.<p>

Viv smiles at him. "No, you didn't." She watches for a few minutes as Gavin begins to pace agitatedly around her bedroom. "Come here." She says, pulling her doona cover back and offering a space for Gavin to lie down beside her.

He looks at the space, paces a bit more, and kicks off his shoes, lying down beside his best friend.

"Thanks for not hating me like all the others." He says quietly.

"I will never hate you, I promise. You've been my best friend for fifteen years. I just… I just wish you'd stop letting girls use you."

"What?" He asks, taken aback.

Viv sighs. "It's just… all of these girls say that you use them, but I've seen the way they look at you, like you're a piece of meat or something. They use you to get what they want for a night and then complain because you used them and you took away their innocence and you broke their poor little hearts. It's them that're using you, not the other way around."

"You're so observant sometimes." Gavin says to her.

"I just hate seeing you like this. You deserve better than what they give you."

"Thanks." He says simply. "Those other girls may be hot, but you'll always be the most beautiful girl I know." Gavin wraps his arms around Vivienne's small frame and pulls her against his chest, pressing his lips to the top of her head and holding her until she falls asleep.

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><p>Ben's eyes snap open as he hears Katherine's familiar scream from down the hallway. He jumps up and runs into her bedroom, wrapping his arms around his sister as she sobs.<p>

"Another nightmare?" He asks cautiously.

She nods her head.

"Can you remember what it was about?"

She shakes her head. "No. I just… The only thing I can remember is a huge lake. I don't know. And…" Katie trails off slowly.

"What?" Ben wonders.

"Nothing. It's stupid." Katie says quickly.

"Tell me." Ben pleads. "You can trust me."

"I looked down and there was blood on my hands. Lots and lots of blood. And then the blood ran into the lake. It was horrible."

"It was just a dream, Katie. Just a dream. Go to sleep." Ben encourages.

"Don't go. Can you… just hold me?" She whispers quietly.

Ben gasps, feeling a sense of Déjà vu and in his mind he sees a man with brown hair and blue eyes leaning over him. He remembers those words from somewhere, sometime before, but he just can't place it exactly. "Of course. I'll never leave you." He promises, sitting down on Katie's bed, leaning his back against the headboard, his arms still around her.

He stays there, holding her until she has been silently sleeping for over an hour before he carefully removes his arms from around her and walks out of the room. As he walks back to his room, Aiden's door opens from the other end of the hallway.

"Is Katie ok?" The boy asks. "I heard her scream and I wanted to see if she was ok, but I wouldn't have known what to do if she wasn't."

"She's ok now, A. She just had a nightmare, that's all. Don't let it worry you. You need to get some sleep! You've got school tomorrow!"

"Ugh, don't remind me!" Aiden exclaims heartedly.

Ben laughs at him.

"Ok, well night then." Aiden says, closing his door again.

"Night." Ben says to the closed door before going into his own room.

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><p><strong>Hope you liked the modern versions of the characters and I hope the different names don't confuse you! Let me know what you thought :) <strong>


	4. Chap2: The King, The Queen, & The Sister

**Chapter 2: The King, The Queen, and The Sister**

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><p><strong>Okie dokie, so in this chapter Katie and Ben meet Gwen! Yay! I actually really love this chapter. I laughed so much at something Gwen says, and I was so proud of that particular line.<strong>

**_Disclaimer:_**** I don't own ****_Merlin_****. If I did, it would still be on TV.**

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><p>"See ya after school, bud!" Ben says as he pulls up at the curb and Aiden climbs out of the car. "We'll meet you back here!"<p>

Katherine pulls a face at her 'older brother' and climbs out of the car to give Aiden a bit of encouragement. "You'll be fine. I promise you'll make heaps of cool friends! Every girl in school will want to know your name!"

Aiden nods his head nervously and wraps his arms tightly around her waist. Katherine wraps her arms around his back, holding him close. "Katie?" He mumbles quietly.

"Yeah?" She asks.

"Thanks for being so nice to me. You're like a real big sister."

Katie smiles at him. "I _am_ your real big sister, ok. We don't have to be blood related. We just have to love each other and keep each other safe, yeah?"

He nods his head. "Yeah. Promise you won't ever leave me like Mum and Dad did?"

"Never. I'll always have your back. Now get in there and show everyone how awesome Aiden Morder is!"

Aiden smiles at her and walks towards the school building, his shoulders back and his head held high.

Katie climbs back into the car and Ben pulls the car back out onto the road, heading towards the high school. "You should be a motivational speaker or something." He jokes, looking at her briefly.

"Well I didn't see you offering him any encouragement." She says sarcastically.

"Why would I when you are so good at it?" He retaliates.

"Do you want me to walk to school and make you go in by yourself?" She threatens. "Because you're going the right way about it."

"I would be fine with walking in by myself. I'm not reliant on you."

"Bullshit. We both know you'd be too scared to go in by yourself. I've always been braver than you." Katie responds.

"You have not! Who was it who threatened that last boyfriend of yours?"

"You. But you're all talk, no action. Me, I take a stand and don't back down."

"Yeah, I know that better than anyone." Ben agrees bitterly.

Katie bursts out laughing, remembering the times where she has beaten him up. Her laughter is contagious, and soon Ben is also close to hysterics. They drive into the school parking lot and climb out, grabbing their bags and books. Together, they walk through the main doors of Albion High School.

They follow the signs to the Front Office where they walk to the desk.

"Good morning dears, how may I help you?" The woman behind the counter greets them.

Katie catches a glance of the badge on the woman's jacket. Mrs Merlyn. "Hi, my name is Katherine Penderghast and this is my brother Ben. We're transfers from West Kingsley Preparatory."

"Well well, luckily I have your timetables printed and ready to go!" She says, passing them both a piece of paper. "Katherine, our office assistant Gwen is in your first class of the day. Benjamin, my own son Calhoun is in your class. And you are all in the same home room."

"Thank you." Katie smiles politely at Mrs Merlyn, and has the woman wrapped around her little finger in an instant. "So, if we are to encounter any problems, do we just come and see you?"

"Oh yes, of course! You come and see me if you need anything dear, and I will either help you myself or direct you to the person who can."

"Thank you very much." Katie smiles.

"Gwendolen!" Mrs Merlyn calls over her shoulder. A girl with tan skin and dark curls appears from inside a cupboard. "These are the transfers who are joining your home room."

"Oh, hi!" Gwen smiles, placing the manila folders in her hand on a desk as she walks towards them. "I'm Gwen."

"Katie." Katie offers her hand to the other girl. Watching carefully as Gwen shakes her hand, Katie notices the clothes and minimal amount of makeup. _She's nice. We could be friends_, she thinks.

"And you are?" Gwen turns her brown-eyed gaze to Ben.

"Hi, I'm Ben." Ben flashes his award-winning smile that makes every girl's heart melt and stomach flutter.

Gwen offers her hand to him. "It's a pleasure." Gwen smiles, seemingly unfazed by Ben's looks.

Ben is surprised by Gwen's composure as his hand encases her smaller one. The girls at his last school would have passed out at the mere prospect of touching his hand.

A bell rings overheard and Mrs Merlyn speaks to Gwen again. "Are you able to show Katherine and Benjamin to your homeroom and their lockers?"

"Of course. Do you need me to do anything else here before I leave?" Gwen asks her.

"No, you have done a wonderful job this morning, dear. I don't know what I would do without your help!" Mrs Merlyn exclaims.

Gwen chuckles softly. "Well, just let me grab my bag and I'll show you where you to go."

Gwen turns and walks to an office. While she is getting her bag, Katie flashes Ben a smirk.

"What?" He hisses at her.

She just smirks and turns back as Gwen walks towards them, carrying her school bag and books.

"They have their timetables. If you could help Katherine find her feet today, and ask Calhoun to help Benjamin out today, that would be much appreciated. Also, Katherine's locker is right beside yours." Mrs Merlyn says to Gwen.

"Of course. Have a nice day Mrs Merlyn! Shoot me an email if you need any help at lunch time or after school."

"Thank you, I will. Have a wonderful day, Gwendolen." Mrs Merlyn says.

The siblings follow Gwen out into the halls of the school and she leads them expertly through the corridors, avoiding the large groups of people congregating in seemingly random areas.

"So, that's Mrs Merlyn." Gwen tells Katie and Ben as they walk. "She's a lovely woman. Her son, Calhoun is in our home group. Who else is in our homegroup? There aren't very many good girls. The only ones who aren't sluts are my friends Neve and Vivienne. The others are all pathetic with morals that are looser than their nether-regions. But the guys are all pretty great, actually. There's Calhoun. He's so sweet, but he's a bit… odd, I guess you could say. He always wears a red or blue scarf. Like, every day, without fail. I think it's a red one today. There's Lance, Gavin, Percy, Leo and Eli. They're all on the football team, but they actually have a decent head on their shoulders, unlike most of the meatheads on the team. Lance has dark hair and dark eyes. He's really quite proud, so don't insult him unless you want a black eye. Gavin has brown hair and brown eyes, too. He's a bit of a get-around, really, and girls use him a lot, but the one girl he's really got his eyes on, the one he actually cares about is Vivienne. He's a bit clueless when it comes to females. Be careful, he'll probably hit on you." She directs that part to Katie. "Percy has short blonde hair, blue eyes and is massively ripped. You don't really have anything to worry about with him, though. He might look big and intimidating, but he's really just a huge teddy bear. Eli is my brother. And before you ask, no we are not twins. He's 18 and I'm only 17. I was put up a year level in primary school."

"So you're really smart, then?" Katie questions.

Gwen blushes and avoids eye contact, "Not really." She skirts around answering the question. "Ok, so this is your locker." Gwen says to Katie, stopping abruptly at a block of lockers. "Your combination is written on the reverse of your timetable."

Katie turns her timetable over and sure enough, scrawled in pencil are the numbers 37, 4, 23, 29. "So, just spin the dial left first, then right, then left, then right again?"

"Yes, but it has to be a full circle. Like, you have to go past your previous number on the way to the next one." Gwen instructs as she opens her own locker.

"Ok…" Katie attempts to open her locker, but hits the wrong number and pauses. "What do I do if I stuff up?"

Gwen smiles at her. "Just do two whole spins to the left and it'll reset for you."

"Ok, thanks." Katie resets the lock and puts the combination in. She hears the lock click open and she pulls on the locker door. It swings open and she smiles proudly. "I bet you won't get yours that quickly." She says to Ben, standing behind her.

"I bet I'll get mine first go." He retaliates.

"$20? Put your money where your mouth is." Katie challenges.

"Deal. $20 I'll get it open on my first try." Ben agrees, shaking his sister's hand and closing the deal.

Gwen watches them with amusement. As Katie closes her locker, she sees Gwen's hand whip out and wrap around the arm of a guy wearing a red scarf. Immediately, both Ben and Katie know who this boy is. Calhoun Merlyn.

* * *

><p><strong>Oooooh yay, we're getting somewhere now! The line I was talking about in the first AN of this chapter was "The others are all pathetic with morals that are looser than their nether-regions." I was proud of that line.**

**So... what did you think of Ben and Katie's interactions with each other? And do you like how I'm portraying Ben, Katie and Gwen so far, or not? I am happy to alter their mannerisms if you think I should.**

**Until next time!**

**C**


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